Cable grip tube puller



Aug. 12, 1958 J. Dl PALMA CABLE GRIP TUBE FULLER Filed Aug. 2z, 195e M .I M n 4 Il DI z /w ma m m v mf@ A. Z @a www? M E' ,.Tmeln v $41 ,l

United States Patent() CABLE GRIP TUBE IPULLER Joseph Di Palma, Westport, Conn.

Application August 22, 1956, Serial No. 605,636

61Claims. (Cl. 294-20) This invention relates to improvements in grips, of the types usually employed in pulling cables or in relieving strains on cables, my improved grips being especially devised to cooperate with hard and non-deformable tubular or cylindrical objects, as contrasted with the cable types, where the cables are stranded and deformable and the grips actually bite into the insulation or other outer covering of the cable.

This invention is a continuation-in-part of application Serial vNumber 277,647, led March 20, 1952, now abandoned.

An object of the invention is the provision of a woven wire sleeve-like member which increases in diameter when its length is decreased, and which tends to decrease its diameter when subjected to forces tending to increase its length, and adapted, due to said properties, to increase itsk diameter when pushed endwise onto a glass tube, a metal shell, or the like and adapted to decrease its diameter and grip the tube or the like.

Another object of the invention is to space the end wires of the grip into two groups, and then to twist the wires in each group to form a straight twisted pair forming the vcenter of each group with a twisted pair on each side thereof bent sok as to be substantially parallel to each other and ,to the center thereof, the bent pairs being bent in accordance toy the depth they are to beA inserted into the ends of a hollow tubular handle member, for example if ,the two outer twisted pairs of wires in each group arebent inwardly to form a 90 angle, or at least approaching 90, and then arek bent downwardly adjacent to andrparallel vto the straight center twisted pair, the 90 bends rform stops for a tube to be subsequently applied, as will hereinafter be explained.

Yet another object is to provide a grip of this type for handling metallic and non-metallic shells and other non-deformable cylindrical or columnar devices.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent to Athose skilled in the art upon a study of this specification and the accompanying drawings.

Referring to the drawings, which are given by way of example to illustrate the invention:

Figure 1 is an elevation of a grip formed of solid wire and made according to the invention;

- Figure 2 is an elevation of the grip of Figure 1, 90 with respect to the elevation shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is an elevation similar to Figure 2, except that the two outer twisted pairs on each side of the center pair have been bent substantially 90 and made parallel to the center twisted pair, so that the tubular end of a handle member (shown positioned adjacent thereto) may be easily placed in embracing relation with the parallel portionsA of the twisted pairs;

f 'Figure 5T is a view, similar to Figure 4, except that the tubular end has been pushedover the three twisted pairs andy atte'ned; y

Figure 6 is an elevation of the completed grip, engaged with a radio tube for pulling the same;

Figure 7 is a view of a grip with a special form of: handle, for pulling tubes from radio and television sets and the like wherein said tubes are crowded by other elements and are inacessible;

Figure 8 is an elevation of said special grip which has the grip end extending with respect to the handle so that some tubes may be pulled even though they are not accessible for a straight line pull;

Figure 9 is a cross-sectional View taken along the line 9--9 of Figure 7 and showing one method of locking the grip in either a straight line with, or in angular relation with the handle; and

Figure 10 is an elevation partly in section taken along the line 10-10 of Figure 8.

Referring first to Figures l, 2, 3 and 4, the strands or wires forming the gripping device 10 are woven to form an open mesh tube in which all of the strands crossing each other are movable relative to each other, so that the device may freely expand radially when it is compressed endwise (axially), or so that the device may be freely compressed upon anything to be gripped when the device is extended endwise.

Figures l, 2, 3 and 4 illustrate steps employed in making a grip of a type particularly adapted to be used for pulling articles which have non-deformable cylindrical outer surfaces, as for example, radio tubes.

After the device 10 has been woven on a suitable mandrel, such as that shown in Patent No. 2,557,816, dated June 19, 195.1, with solid wires in the usual and customary manner, and the pairs of Wires are twisted, with the aid of the bottom row of hooks on said mandrel, the device has the general appearance as shown in Figures 1, 2 and 3.

For example, it is noted that the strands 11, 12; 13, 14; and 15, 16; seen in Figure 2, are twisted together to form twisted pairs 17, 18, and 19, and a second set of twisted pairs 17', 18 and 19. These rows of twisted pairs are also seen in Figure l, where the left end pair 18 is seen, the pairs 17 and 17 being behind the pairs 19 and 19. The right end of the twisted pair is the pair 18, which in Figure 2, is behind the pair 18.

When the device 10 has been woven and the pairs have been formed into spaced arrays and formed into twisted pairs 17, 18 and 19 in one array and corresponding pairs such as 17', 18 and 19', which are directly behind the pairs 17, 18 .and 19, as seen in Figure 2, in another array. the twisted pairs are ready to be bent or formed. The pair 18 and the corresponding pair 18 (behind 18 as seen in Figure 2) are set straight so that they are parallel to the axis of the woven device in the plane of Figure 2.

After the twisted pairs 19 and 18 are set, as described above, the twisted pair 17 is bent inwardly, and is bent at the point 20 so that the portion below the point 20 is substantially parallel to the twisted pair 18 and the twisted portion between the point 20 and the strands forms an angle of approximately 90 with the portion 17 that is parallel to the twisted pair 18. Following the same procedure, the pair 19 is bent at 21 to approximately an angle of 90 and moved inwardly to a point where the portion below the point 21 is substantially parallel to the twisted pair 18, as shown in Figure 4. The twisted pairs 17 and 19', which are behind the pairs 17 and 19, are bent at points corresponding to the points 20 and 21 Figures 2 and 4, respectively, so that they are substantially paralled to the twisted pair 18. A special jig may be formed to bend the outside twisted pairs on, or I may form the 90 bend with a special tool.

As one example, a handle 24 is comprised of a length 3 of tubing U-shaped and having legs 25 and 26 flattened at 30 and 31, respectively. However, before the legs 25 and 26 are flattened, the open end of each tube (for example the end 23 shown in Figure 4) has the free ends of the groups of twisted pairs inserted therein. Referring to Figure 4, where one end of open tube is shown at 23, it will readily be seen that as the open ended tube is pushed upwardly onto the twisted pairs 17, 18 and 19, it can move freely until its edge encounters and is stopped by the bends 20 and 21. Thus the bends 20 and 21 limit the depth of the twisted pairs in the open ends 23 of the handle. As one open end of the handle is pushed over the twisted pairs until it is stopped by the bends 20 and 21, the other open end is pushed over the twisted pairs 17', 18', 19', to be arrested by the 90 bends on 17' and 19 corresponding to bends 20 and 21.

Although the handle 24 may be made of any desired material, I prefer to use aluminum or copper for handles on devices such as above described to be used for tube pullers, because when the aluminum or copper is tlattened after the twisted pairs of wires or strands are inserted, each of these metals is sutlciently soft to spread into the irregularities of the twists and make a suciently strong bond therewith for the purposes intended and without the necessity of soldering or welding. Obviously in other forms of the device I may weld or solder the handles onto the twisted pairs.

In Figure 6, 30 and 31 designate the flattened parts of the handle portions 25 and 26 which have been so flattened after the ends of the twisted pairs have been inserted. It will also be noted that at 24a the non-flattened portion of the handle is hollow, thereby providing a light and strong handle.

In Figure 5, the grip is shown inverted to conform to Figures 1, 2 and 4, and to place a tube 28 in a position to be pulled" by the grip, the tube is also inverted.

To pull the tube 28, the free end of the woven body It? is pushed over the tube preferably to a point where most of the strands of the woven body are in contact with the straight Wall of the tube. Then by grasping the handle 24 and pulling in the direction of the arrow 29, the tube 28 may he easily pulled free of its socket. When the tube has been pulled, it may be removed from the puller by pressing it in the direction of the arrow, so that the entire tube is passed through the L woven body 10, and it may be passed out of the puller by pressing it laterally to guide it out between the woven body and the rounded end of the handle 24.

I have found that, particularly in grips for use with non-deformable articles that the hardness or softness of the gripping force varies in accordance with the lengths of the bent twisted pairs between the point where the twist starts and the point where the bend is made. For example, the distance between the point 20a, the beginning of the twisting of strands 11 and 12 together (Figure 4) and the bend 20; or the distance between the point 21a the beginning of the twisting of strands 15 and 16 and the bend 19. The shorter the distances, the stiffer the device becomes, and with it comes greater gripping force. On the other hand, the longer the distances, the softer the device becomes; thus my improved grips may be manufactured with a predetermined degree of stiffness or softness.

Referring now to Figures 8 to l0, instead of using a handle of the type shown and described hereinabove at 24, I apply the grip to a handle which can be used for a straight-in-line pull or for an angular pull.

For example, I employ a handle which is in the form of a straight bar 32, having a central elongated slot 43 formed therein from one end to receive portions of elements to be presently described.

A member 40 which started initially as a piece of tubing, has the three twisted pairs on one side of the grip inserted in one end, and the tube 40 has a portion of one leg 39 of a Z-shaped member 35, following which the tube 40 is attened to embed both the leg 39 and the three twisted pairs (17, 18 and 19, for example) therein. In addition, I may spot weld, as at 46, or otherwise further secure 39 within the tube 40. The member 35 has a straight portion 38, and a portion 36 which lies within the slot 43 in the end of the handle portion. A cross hole 33 through the square handle portion and through the portion 36 accommodates a rivet 34.

A second tube 40 (broken away in Figure 9) accommodates the other twisted pairs 17', 18', and 19', of the grip and a leg portion 39 of a Z-shaped member 35a and are retained therein by attening and/or spot welding; said second tube being identical, except that the member 35 is a right, while the member 35a is a leftf The portion 36a of the member lies within the slot 43, coextensive with the portion 36, and the rivet 34 passes between both portions (36 and 36a).

Either one or both of the members 35 may be provided with three tabs 41, 36 and 44. The tab 41 is in alignment with the handle 32 in Figure 7, while the tab 36 is in alignment with the handle in Figure 8, thus the device is useful in pulling tubes from a set when the handle is in alignment with the axes of the tubes, or when the handle is with respect to the axes of the tubes. The member 35 is also provided with a tab 44, which is 45 with respect to either axis of Figure 7 or Figure 8 for cases where a straight in line pull is not accessible, but where a 45 pull is feasible.

A sliding sleeve 42 is movable to the dotadash position for releasing any tab, and is returnable to the solid position to retain any tab setting.

Although I have herein shown and described by way of example one form of the invention and a modification thereof, it is obvious that many changes may be made in the arrangements shown and described without departing from the spirit of the invention as set forth in the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a gripping device in combination, a plurality of solid wire strands interwoven to form an open mesh tube open at one end and having its strands at the opposite or draft end divided and formed into two groups of twisted pairs, the adjacent edges of each group lying in a at plane and being spaced apart from each other a distance greater than the normal diameter of said tube, each group being comprised of a plurality of twisted pairs which have substantially parallel extremities and at least one twisted pair in each group being bent to substantially avf right angle and functioning as a depth gauge, land a U-shaped handle formed of tubing and having one of said groups embedded in one end thereof and having the other of'said groups embedded in the opposite end thereof, said bent strands engaging the open ends of the handle and gauging the depth of insertion of said twisted pairs, the height of said handle from the apex thereof to said tube being suicient for an article gripped by said device to pass between the end of said handle and said opposite end of said tubular grip.

2. In a device for gripping hard non-deformable objects, in combination a plurality of `strands of solid wire interwoven to form an open mesh tube open at one end and having strands at the opposite or draft end formed of twisted pairs in two spaced apart groups the adjacent edges of which are spaced a distance not less than the normal diameter of said tube, a central twisted pair in each group being substantially parallel to the axis of said tube and the remaining twisted pairs in both said groups each having a substantial portion adjacent to said tube bent toward each other and disposed at an angle at least approaching 90 so as to bring portions thereof near their extremities substantially parallel to each other and to the central pair on that side to facilitate the` assembling of tubular draft means thereon.

3. In a gripping device in combination, auopen mesh wire tube woven .from solid wires and having extension strands at one end divided into two groups, each group being comprised of not less than three twisted pairs each being twisted equally to the last mesh opening the center one in each group being substantially parallel to the axis of `said tube and the other two in each group each being bent substantially 90 with respect to said axis at a point a predetermined distance from the free end thereof so that the latter in each group are closely adjacent to and substantially parallel to the center twisted pair in the same group to facilitate the mounting of tubular means thereon and thereby to control the maximum expansion of said wire tube.

4. A gripping device according to claim 3 wherein the bends formed in said other twistedpairs comprise stops for gauging the depth that each group of twisted pairs can penetrate the tubular means which is mounted there- 5. A gripping device according to claim 3 wherein the bends formed in said twisted pairs comprise stops for gauging the depth that each group of twisted pairs can penetrate said tubular means, and in which the nearer the bends are to the mesh of said tube, the more rigid the device becomes.

6. A gripping device Iaccording to claim 2 in which said tubular means is comprised of a handle member having an annular portion terminating in apexes each ofwhich is joined by straight tubular portions substantially parallel to the axis of said mesh tube, the open ends of said straight portions each being adapted to receive the twisted pairs of a corresponding group.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,519,246 Forshee Dec. 16, 1924 1,686,250 Page Oct. 2, 1928 2,031,442 Weber Feb. 18, 1936 2,164,278 Kellems June 27, 1939 2,462,560 Schmidt Feb. 22, 1949 2,650,400 Kellems Sept. 1, 1953 

